Dvorak : Cello Concerto (Truls Mørk)
Stravinsky : Petrouchka
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Thomas Søndergård
On paper, this programme looked a little like short measure, but it certainly did not turn out to be so, not when given performances of this calibre.
If dark chocolate had a sound, we heard it tonight in Truls Mørk's playing, warm and richly toned, but with that point of acidity that prevented it from ever getting cloying. Soloist and orchestra were matched in assurance, strength and tenderness in all the right places, a wonderful, singing lyricism in the second movement, effortless virtuosity and never a moment's doubt when it came to intonation from Mørk. The performance commanded absolute attention from the audience with a rare and vivid intensity as we were led through the piece, with its confidence and melancholy, sweet and nostalgic, resolute and wistful, turn by turn, with never a single moment where our attention was allowed to falter. As masterful a performance as it has ever been my delight to hear in concert.
After the lush, Late Romantic outpourings of the Dvorak, the astringency of the Stravinsky ballet made for a good contrast. There was plenty of vigour in Søndergård's reading, and a high level of precision playing from the orchestra, vitally necessary in this brightly coloured and very tricky score. The bustle of the Shrovetide Fair was well captured, and particularly the almost cinematic effect of focussing in on little vignettes here and there in the outer movements, and then pulling back again to catch the overall hurly-burly. Petrouchka Alone seemed a little detached, and I wonder if Søndergård has ever conducted this piece as an actual ballet, because I think it's necessary to be familiar with the visual aspect of it to really grasp the details. However, the Blackamoor and the Ballerina was excellent, his lumbering game with the coconut, and her tinny little waltz very descriptive. If the Stravinsky wasn't quite as outstanding as the Dvorak, well, the Dvorak was pretty near perfect, and one doesn't get lucky like that twice in one night.
That said, we came pretty close to it, perhaps not in the Stravinsky, but in the encore Søndergård chose. In his introduction to it, he said Sibelius had followed him all his life. No doubt, but Sibelius has also followed the RSNO much of its life too; Sir Alexander Gibson was a noted Sibelian, and established something of a tradition with the orchestra in this field. There have been others since, but there was a particular sound to this performance of a movement from the Scènes historiques that I hadn't heard in quite a while, a richness to the lower strings, and a vibrancy that brought back strong and welcome memories of Gibson's Sibelius. Søndergård is the RSNO's new Principal Guest Conductor as of this season; here's hoping tonight was just a small sample of what he has to offer us.
[Next : 27th May 2013]
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